Alloys and method of manufacture



Eatented July 28,

UNITE STATES PATEN ALLOYS AND METHOD or MANUFACTURE Kenneth Miller Simpson, New York, N. Y.

No Drawing.

Application May 13, 1932, Serial No. 611,242. Renewed November 21, 1935 8 Claims. (Cl. 75-45) My invention relates to metal alloys and more particularly has reference to alloys of iron and copper.

In the alloying of iron and copper'in substantial proportions, it has heretofore been considered impossible to produce a satisfactory alloy of these two metals without the incorporation into the alloy of additional elements, such as nickel and silicon. Without the use of additional ingredients, it has not been possible to alloy more than 3% to 4% copper with iron, and at the other end, not more than 3% to 4% iron with copper. .The presence of more than these amounts of the metals in an alloy consisting of iron and copper resulted in segregations which rendered the alloys valueless. In order to overcome this defect in the alloying of iron and copper in substantial proportions, it has long been recognized as essential to incorporate additional metals into the alloy. Thus, according to the prior art practice for producing alloys of iron and copper, a usable alloy could not be obtained unless either the copper or iron was employed in very small proportion, or unless additional elements were added to the alloy and there has not heretofore been produced an iron-copper alloy substantially free of segregations and additional alloying elements and wherein either the copper or iron was present in excess of 5%.

I have now found that as a result of the process herein disclosed, it is possible to alloy iron and copper in substantial proportions without the use of additional alloying elements to obtain an alloy which is substantially free of segregations. Such alloys are very desirable in that they are the lowest priced and most economical copper alloys that can be produced.

It is accordingly a primary object of my invention to provide an alloy consisting substantially entirely of iron and copper and substantially free of segregations and wherein one of the metals is present in excess of 5%.

Another object of my invention is to provide a process which enables the alloying of iron and copper in substantial proportions without the use of additional alloying elements.

' More specific objects of my invention resideture at which the alloy is cast into ingots. In accordance with my process, the deoxidized alloy must be thoroughly degasified prior to pouring and the pouring is effected at a temperature considerably lower than that customarily employed in the pouring of steel.

Describing the process with reference to the production of an alloy predominating in iron,

ture of approximately 1500 C. until such impurities as may exist in the metals have had an opportunity to rise to the surface and mix with the slag. It is now necessary to remove-oxides of" iron and such removal may be accomplished by the action of carbon, silicon, manganese or aluminum. Any or all of these deoxidizing reagents may be employed. Copper as charged to the furnace always contains some oxide which is acted on by the carbon, manganese or silicon that may exist in the steel. The alloy is retained in' the furnace until the greater portion of the oxide has been eliminated and is subsequently poured into a ladle at a temperature preferably between 1500 C. and 1600 C. The alloy is held in the ladle for a time period adequate to allow the occluded gases to escape and to permit the oxides of iron, manganese and silicon to rise to the surface. may be added to effect further cleaning of the alloy,but' this is not always necessary. No substantial amounts of the metals added to the charge for purification purposes become a part of the alloy, these reagents being eliminated for the most part in the impurities.

Before pouring from the ladle, the alloy is permitted to cool therein to a temperature consid erably below that employed ordinarily in the pouring of steel, that is to say, cooling takes place to a temperature substantially below 1500" C. The preferred temperature of pouring according to my process is 1350 C., and when the alloy has attained this temperature, it is teemed or pouredthrough a nozzle in the usual way into suitable molds.

The alloy is then ready for further treatment. The ingots, which may have some surface irregularities, are chipped or otherwise prepared, and are then introduced to a heating furnace where by heating, the ingots are relieved of stresses and As this stage in the operation, aluminumv strains and also prepared for rolling. The tem- 6o perature of heating is preferably about 800 C. for steel containing from 10% to 30% copper. For ingots approximately 12 inches in diameter, the time period of retention in the furnace is about one and one-half hours. The ingots are rolled and reheated in the usual manner, and made into bars, shapes, plates and numerous other products.

After proper annealing, the alloys can be cold forged, the extent of this operation being governed largely by the composition of the alloys.

I have above described an operation according to which about 25% copper is added to the iron, but it is to be understood that similar procedure should be followed in alloying different amounts of copper with iron. However, where the alloy is to predominate in copper, the latter is preferably first introduced to and melted in the furnace, and the scrap'iron or steel then added thereto.

By the process herein described, it is possible to produce substantially segregation-free alloys consisting substantially entirely of iron and copper, and wherein the percentage of either metal may vary from to 95%. The following table indicates a series of useful alloys which are capable of production in accordance with my invention:

Percent Percent iron copper in excess of 5% of the iron and disseminating the same through the molten bath, deoxidizing the molten bath and retaining the latter in the furnace until the major portion of the oxides has been eliminated, then tapping the alloy into a ladle and holding the same therein until the occluded gases have escaped and the remainder of the oxides has-risen to the surface, and subsequently pouring the alloy into molds at a temperaabove the melting point of the alloy but below C.

2. A process for producing alloys consisting substantially entirely of iron and copper which comprises introducing the iron to a furnace and melting same therein and reducing its carbon content to 0.2% or less, adding the copper in amount in excess of 5% of the iron and disseminating the same through the molten bath, adding deoxidizing agent to the bath and retaining the latter in the furnace to permit elimination of oxides, then tapping the alloy into a ladle at a temperature between 1500 C. and 1600 C. and holding the same therein for a. time period adequate to permit thorough degasification and separation of remaining oxides, and then, when the alloy has cooled to about 1350" C., pouring the same from the ladle into molds. I

3. A process for producing alloys consisting substantially entirely of iron and copper which comprises melting the iron and reducing its carbon content to a point not in excess of 0.2%, adding copper in amount ofat least of the iron,

deoxidizing and degasifying the molten bath of iron and copper and alloying the iron and copper together without the incorporation thereinto of any substantial quantity of additional alloying metal, and subsequently pouring the alloy into molds at a temperature above the melting point of the alloy but below 1500 C.

4. A process for producing alloys consisting substantially entirely of iron and copper which comprises melting the iron and reducing its carbon content to a point not in excess of 0.2%, adding copper in amount of at least 25% of the iron, deoxidizing and degasifying the molten bath of iron and copper and alloying the iron and copper together without the incorporation thereinto of any substantial quantity of additional alloying metal, and subsequently pouring the alloy into molds at a temperature in the neighborhood of about 1350 C.

5. A process for producing iron-copper alloys which comprises melting the iron and reducing its carbon content to a point not in excess of 0.2%, then combining with the molten iron of reduced carbon content copper in amount of at least 25% of the iron, the amount of the iron being in excess of 20% of the copper, deoxidizing and degasifying the molten bath of iron and copper and alloying the copper with the iron, and subsequently pouring the molten alloy into molds at a temperature above the melting point of the alloy but below 1500 C.

6. A process for producing alloys consisting substantially entirely of iron and copper, which comprises melting the iron and reducing its carbon content to a point not in excess of 0.2%, then combining with the molten iron of reduced carbon content, copper in the amount of between 20% and 80% of the iron, deoxidizing and degasifying the molten bath of iron and copper and alloying the iron and copper together without the incorporation thereinto of any substantial quantity of additional alloying metal, and subsequently pouring the molten alloy into molds at a temperature above the melting point of the alloy but below 1500 C.

. 7. A process for producing iron-copper alloys which comprises'melting the iron and reducing its carbon content to 0.2% or less, then adding to the molten iron of reduced carbon content copper in amount in excess of 5% of the iron and melting the copper in the bath of molten iron,

deoxidizing and degasifying the molten mixture of iron and copper and alloying-the copper with the iron, and subsequently pouring the molten alloy into molds at a temperature above the melting point of the alloy'but below 1500 C.

' 8. A process forproducing alloys consisting substantially entirely of iron and copper which comprises melting the iron and reducing its carbon content to 0.2% or less, then adding to the molten iron'of reduced carbon content copper in amount in excess of 5% of the iron and melting the copper in the bath of molten iron, deoxidizing and degasifying the molten mixture of iron and copper and alloying the iron and copper together without the incorporation thereinto of any substantial quantity of additional alloying metal, and subsequently pouring the molten alloy into molds at a temperature above the melting point of the alloy but below 1500 C.

KENNETH MILLER. smPsoN. 

